Snap-fit cover for flush-fill containers



April 6, 1965 CRISCI 3,176,868.

SNAP-FIT COVER FOR FLUSH-FILL CONTAINERS Filed April 6, 1964 United States Patent M 3,176,368 SNAP-Fifi CQVER FQR FLUSH-FELL CQNEAENERS Victor E. Crisci, Leominster, lviess, assignor to Mammoth Plastics, Inc, Clinton, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 6, 1964, er. No. 357,573 1 Claim. (Cl. 215-41) This invention relates to a new plastic cover for plastic containers of the flush-fill type. In particular, it relates to a molded plastic cover which provides an improved quality of fit onto the container.

Plastic flush-fill container-s, namely those plastic containers which have a bead at the top edge for engaging the cover and thus can be filled up to the top or flush, are used for many types of food products. Previously described covers for such containers fail to provide a com.- bination of two desired propenties, namely the ability to snap-fit over the container and the ability to nest or stack in automatic-cover dispensing machines without being locked into one another.

One object of this invention is to provide a snap-fit cover for flush-fill containers which can be stacked with other identical covers without looking.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a cover which has means for holding an insert such as a preprinted cardboard insert used for advertising or the like.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the description and claims which follow and from the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a median sectional view of a flush-fill container having a circular opening, a slight body taper and a top bead at the edge.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cover made in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view, slightly enlarged, of the cover illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section along line 44 of FIGURE 2 enlarged to comp-are with the size of FIG. 3.

The invention comprises generally a flexible molded cover having a flat, horizontal body portion of approximately the same size and shape as the circular opening of the container, a vertical portion extending downward and having an outwardly flaring manipulable lip, a plurality of vertical spaced ribbed protrusions on the outer surface of said vertical portion and extending the height of said vertical portion, a concentric ring extending upward from said flat body portion, and an inner bead on Edlhfid Patented Apia 6, i965 said vertical portion spaced so as to fit over the bead of the container. In one form of the invention, the concentrio upper ring is provided with a plurality of inwardly directed protuberances which provide a means for holding an insert such as a pro-printed cardboard insert.

Referring now to the drawings, the flush-fill, circularo-pening container 11 illu-stnated in FIGURE 1 has a top bead 12 and a flange 13. The illustrated cover 21 has a flat horizontal body portion 22 above which projects a concentric ring or flange 23 having a plurality of inwardly directed protrusions 24- spaced above said body portion 22 so as to form a space for the insertion of an insert. Depending from- :the body portion 22 is a vertical wall 26 having on its outer surface a plurality of spaced protrusions 27 extending substantially the entire height of the Wall and terminating at the offset body portion which forms an outwardly flaring manipulable lip 12$. A head 39 on the inner surface of the wall 26 forms a groove 31 with the wall 26 and the body portion 22, so as to engage the bead 12 of the container and to hold it in fixed locking posit-ion. The concentric ring or flange 23 has a plurality of ribs 2 8 spaced in vertical position.

The materials of construction are varied and include such common plastics as polystyrene or polyethylene; The covers of this invention are preferably made by injection molding although they can be made by other processes. The covers of this invention can be easily stacked one upon the other without any possibility of locking and yet provide a snap fit.

I claim:

A flexible cover for use with a container having a circular opening, a slight body taper and a bead at its top rim, comprising a substantially flat, horizontal body portion terminating in a circumferential downwardly directed vertical wall; the outer surface of said well being provided with a plurality of spaced vertical protrusions; the inner surface of said wall being provided with a circumferential bead engageable with said container head; the bottom of said wall being outwardly flaring to provide a mnipulable lip; the top of said body portion being provided with a concentric upwardly-directed ring having a plurality of inwardly-directed horizontal protuber-ances.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,766,796 10/56 Tupper 220 2,947,463 8/60 Conklin 22060 FRANKLIN T. GARRETR I-rimary Examiner. 

